Hand tools of a seemingly infinite variety have been developed for many purposes, and are currently used by individuals ranging in skill level from craftsmen with many years of trade experience to untrained persons needing to accomplish a simple task around the house. One thing many hand tools have in common, however, is that prolonged use and repeated manipulation of a hand tool, such as a screwdriver, a ratchet, a paintbrush, and so forth, tends to cause user fatigue. This is commonly because the same muscles and joints that are used to manipulate a hand tool, generally those of the user's fingers and/or wrist, also bear the weight of the hand tool. Use of a paintbrush, for example, generally involves not only supporting a wet brush made heavy with paint, but also requires repetitive back-and-forth movement of the user's wrist and/or force applied with the fingers. Also, the orientation at which a tool must be held when used, such as a paintbrush when applying paint to a surface, often requires the user's hand to be at an angle with respect to the user's wrist, further contributing to user discomfort.